Publications by authors named "Alexander M Kallen"

Prior studies have found an association between reduced P3 brain responses-a neural marker of task engagement-and increased depressive symptoms during adolescence. However, it is unclear whether P3 correlates with depression globally, or with certain facets. Existing depression studies have also typically quantified P3 as a cross-trial average, neglecting possible trial-by-trial effects.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study critiques traditional psychiatric classifications and proposes the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) as a more effective dimensional approach to understanding mental disorders.
  • HiTOP is based on quantitative research linking various diagnoses and symptoms, making it potentially more relevant for clinical neuroscience.
  • A systematic review of 164 neuroimaging studies found consistent results across multiple levels of psychopathology, indicating HiTOP's promise but also pointing out limitations in the current research landscape.
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Initiation of alcohol use at younger ages is prognostic of later drinking problems. Reward system dysfunction is theorized to contribute to early initiation and escalation of drinking, but existing evidence supports both hyposensitivity and hypersensitivity as risk-markers; research employing effective indices of reward processing is needed for clarification. The reward positivity (RewP) is a well-established neurophysiological index of hedonic "liking," an important aspect of reward processing.

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Depression is associated with high levels of cognitive impairment and increased loneliness among older adults. The current study examines associations between a reliable and robust neural marker of cognitive impairment (i.e.

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Recent research suggests that depressive disorders in adults are characterized by reductions in flanker P300 amplitude, and that a reduced flanker P300 may also predict worst depressive trajectories over time. The current study extended this work to adolescence-and to evaluate the specificity of the relationship between flanker P300 to depressive symptoms versus anxiety symptoms, and whether the association between flanker P300 and depressive symptoms was moderated by biological sex. To this end, P300 amplitude, depression, anxiety, and sex were assessed in a large sample of 619 adolescents aged 11 to 14.

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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by impulsivity and distractibility, has been linked to blunted neural indicators of executive function and motivational processing. In the current study, we examined cross-sectional and prospective associations between P300 to feedback stimuli, the reward positivity (RewP), and interview-based and parent-reported ADHD symptoms in a sample of 300 female adolescents aged 8 to 14 who were re-assessed two years later. Cross-sectional analyses indicated that a smaller P300, but not RewP, was associated with greater interview-based and parent-reported ADHD symptoms.

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Past research has found that P300 is smaller in depressed adults. Research examining P300 in relation to adolescent depression is more inconsistent; most studies fail to find P300 differences between currently depressed adolescents and controls. Previous studies have not examined the potential predictive utility of P300 in regard to adolescent depression.

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